It's been a little over a year since the Occupy Wall Street people, decided to begin a protest against...hmm, does anyone really know what they were or are protesting? I don't think they knew. Are they still out there? I honestly don't really care. It's the 99% slogan that got people's attention. Recently, Romney in one of his speeches got nailed for saying something about the 47%. At the mills where I work, I leave treats for the people that have dogs. I leave them on the floor at the tenants doorway. One such doorway has a new sign on it that says,"Proud member of the 47%". Roll of the eyes, 'oh brother escapes my lips.' I thought twice about leaving the treat, but decided it isn't the dogs fault his daddy is a moron. Anyways, I want to address the church on the 10%. Not talking about money. Not today.
Have you ever noticed that in every church it's the same handful, 10% if you will, of people that come beside the Pastor to help run the church. I'm not talking paid staff. I'm talking about the attenders-members-partners, whatever we are calling them these days. The staff, no doubt are doing way above and beyond what they get paid for anyways. If you discount the staff, then 10% is a liberal percentage.
We all get 24 hours a day. That is 168 hours a week. If we tithed our time as I believe we need to do with our income, that's almost 17 hours a week. "That's crazy!" you say. "That's a part time job!" Ok, what if we did 8 hours a week? "No, way. You have no idea what my life is like, I have school, work, kids, aging parents, home repairs, and the list goes on." You say. Ok, how about 2 hours. And you can't count sitting in a church service, as giving your time. That, attending a church service, is your responsibility to yourself and your relationship with God to grow in relationship with him. It doesn't count as acts of service.
It's been my experience that the 10% who serve and are not paid staff, is actually more like 3%. What happens when we expect or presume on those people week after week. They have school, and jobs outside of the church, as well. They probably have a gift or talent that they have a passion for, but because of all the needs they see in the church that nobody else is doing, they have their hands in everything, and seldom get to practice their passions We call them the glue that holds it all together. What will happen to these people with the heart of a servant? They will get tired; they will get jaded, and they will burn out.
True Story:
At one church, the second week I was there, I put my 5 month old in the nursery. At that time, I was asked if I would like to join the nursery team. Sure, why not. I began serving in the nursery once every 6-7 weeks. After a few years and 3 Pastoral transitions, I was in charge, and in there every week, -not kidding, every week. Not because I wanted to but because there were not enough volunteers. I had my faithful handful of teen girls, but we really needed 3-4 people most weeks. The age of the nursery was from newborns to 3 years. That can get sketchy when you have toddlers being toddlers, and infants. Nursery was just one of the ministries I had been doing, due to lack of help. I wasn't looking for help that involved anyone, to have a degree in early childhood education. Just people with no criminal record that had arms. Legs were optional...and someone that could change a diaper. I got jaded. I got so jaded that when I started attending my new church, the thought of stepping into the nursery would make my mouth go dry. I did not start volunteering in there till I had been a member for 6 years. It took me that long to get over it.
In keeping on the percentage track, if a church has 60 members and around half of them are women; yes, I am gonna be sexist here, if 50% are women, you would have 30. If you were able to actually schedule 30 women on a nursery rotation, and have 2 women each week,( I tear up at the thought) a woman would only have to be in the nursery...once every 4 months! That takes care of one week, of tithing your time. Giving your time does not have to mean missing the service every week.
So what can you do for your church the other 48 weeks of the year, just 2 hours a week? Ask. They have probably been begging for help in every area for as long as they have existed. How can you squeeze 2 hours a week out of your life? Figure it out. Plan. Prioritize. The church is important enough for you to put some thought into it. Me, I stopped watching television reruns in general.
If you are the 3%. Thank you, Thank You, Thank You, You ROCK! If you are the 97%? What are you waiting for just do it!
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